Long Distance
by Ivy
  • Record Label: Nettwerk
  • Release Date: Jul 10, 2001
Metascore
68

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Launch.com
    80
    With the exception of "Undertow," Long Distance falls short of perfection. But as no one else stateside is currently making pop quite this lush and lovely, Ivy continues to raise hopes.
  2. Resonance
    80
    Ivy stays true to the belief that guitar pop can have cool, utopian sounds without bringing in a truckload of keyboards and sequencers. [#32, p.60]
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  3. PopMatters
    80
    At first listen, the melodies on Long Distance sound too simplistic to sustain an entire song -- and yet they do. The secret is that the melodies and chords are only half the story. The aura the songs create is as important as the songs themselves. Like Stereolab, Ivy is largely about sound; they just hide it better.
  5. E! Online
    75
    Armed with a summer anthem and all ("Lucy Doesn't Love You"), it shouldn't be long before Ivy's popularity grows.
  6. Rolling Stone
    70
    The long-awaited Long Distance continues the suavely bittersweet pop that made Apartment Life such an enduring pleasure. Any fan of Everything but the Girl, Saint Etienne or vintage Blondie should find plenty to swoon over here...
  7. Blender
    60
    Though its sound is still cloudy and distant, the group takes tentative steps toward Everything But The Girl territory. [Aug/Sep 2001, p.123]
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  8. AllMusic
    60
    Long Distance's successful moments make its well-groomed monotony especially frustrating: Ivy polished these songs to a fare-thee-well and invited guests like James Iha and Eric Matthews to play on them, yet they couldn't give them more individuality or emotion.
  9. Sonicnet
    60
    Ivy specialize in nebulously oriented dream-pop: too ethereal for straight pop fans, too structured for the 4AD crowd. The result is rather like Swing Out Sister playing with all the rock and roll abandon of, say, the Sundays.
  10. Alternative Press
    50
    The 13 tracks here are improbably edgeless, all love-me-do/love-me-don't plaints that evaporate on impact. [Sep 2001, p.91]
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User Reviews

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User Score
7.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 13 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 13
  3. Negative: 2 out of 13
  1. Carbrera
    May 27, 2016
    10
    Long Distance, easily Ivy's strongest and most listenable album. Compared to 97's Apartment Life, Long Distance differs in its more laid-backLong Distance, easily Ivy's strongest and most listenable album. Compared to 97's Apartment Life, Long Distance differs in its more laid-back approach, complete with recliner and hot tea. Opener "Undertow" is infectious and the perfect choice to begin the record. Single "Disappointed" is unbelievably catchy and should have been a bigger hit on the radio. Other single "Edge of the Ocean" is Ivy's finest work, and the catchiest song on the entire album; the killer "sha-la-la-la-la-la-la" chorus will be stuck in your head for months at a time. "Blame It on Yourself" manages to turn a GarageBand beat into something glossy and upscale, as "While We're in Love" is a good decision, adding a soft touch to the already zen-feeling of Long Distance. Sixth track and lead single "Lucy Doesn't Love You" is also a very good song, alluding to a possible love triangle. "Worry About You" is a favorite among Kingdom Hospital fans, while "Let's Stay Inside" is the perfect tune to listen to when it's cold and rainy outside. "Midnight Sun" is actually decent, but is slightly average compared to its surroundings. The album's final single, "I Think of You", is a high point, ending the album's beautiful line of singles quite well. "Hideaway" and "One More Last Kiss" are a bit forgettable, but overall quite good and at times, delightful. "Digging Your Scene" is a good cover of The Blow Monkeys' single of the same name, and closer "It's All in Your Mind" brings Ivy into the electronica scene, a genre they would further explore in 2011's All Hours. Overall, Long Distance is Ivy's career-defining moment; it's a shame it still wasn't very big. Ivy puts the sound in "indie pop", but now they put the edge in "zen".

    Highs: "Edge of the Ocean", "Disappointed", "I Think of You"

    10/10    … Full Review »
  2. lascavel
    Sep 10, 2001
    10
    Yeh, a las Brit styling pop has a place in The Big Apple...
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